The present state of the art knows polymer-based electrodes for chemical sources of electric energy. Application for French Patent No.2,472,842 of 1981 can be adduced as an example. According to said application the electrode is made of a metal-coated substrate on which an active material is deposited.
One of the heretofore-known processes for producing such electrodes disclosed in FRAG Patent No.4,004,106 of 1991, consists of preliminary activation of the substrate made of polymer materials, in particular, an unwoven web from polyolefinic fibres, in a solution containing tin and palladium, followed by coating the substrate with nickel by chemical formation and electroplating.
However, the aforesaid known process for producing polymer-based electrodes suffers from a number of disadvantages, which are first and foremost due to the use of a large amount of highly expensive palladium for activating the fibrous polymer material that has a highly developed surface.
Moreover, the following formation of a metal coating on the thus-preconditioned material is likely to involve penetration of palladium particles from the polymer surface into the metal-coating solution, with the resultant decomposition of the latter.